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Related Experiment Videos

The PPET Study: people and pets exercising together.

Robert F Kushner1, Dawn Jackson Blatner, Dennis E Jewell

  • 1Wellness Institute, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 150 East Huron, Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. rkushner@nmh.org

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|October 26, 2006
PubMed
Summary

A novel weight loss program combining people and pets exercising together (PPET) showed effectiveness in a 1-year study. This approach leverages the human-companion animal bond to combat the dual obesity epidemic in both humans and their pets.

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Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Obesity presents a significant public health challenge affecting both humans and companion animals.
  • The human-companion animal bond and the social support pets provide offer a unique framework for health interventions.
  • Existing weight loss strategies often overlook the role of pets in a household's overall well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a combined people and pets exercising together (PPET) weight loss program.
  • To investigate the impact of a shared weight loss intervention on both human and pet health outcomes.
  • To explore the role of the human-companion animal bond in promoting successful weight management.

Main Methods:

  • A 1-year prospective controlled weight loss study involving overweight or obese people and their pets (PP group) and people only (PO group).

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  • Participants received group-based dietary and physical activity counseling, while pets in the PP group were fed a calorie-controlled prescription diet.
  • Physical activity levels were monitored using the physical activity recall questionnaire.

    • Main Results:

    • Completion rates at 1 year were comparable between the people and pets exercising together (PPET) group (61%) and the people only (PO) group (58%).
    • Mean weight loss at 12 months was 4.7% for the PPET group and 5.2% for the PO group, with dogs in the PPET group achieving an average weight loss of 15%.
    • Physical activity increased in both groups, with the PPET group spending two-thirds of their increased activity time with their pets.

    Conclusions:

    • The PPET program is the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of a combined approach to weight loss for both people and their pets.
    • This innovative strategy addresses the dual obesity epidemic by capitalizing on the human-companion animal bond.
    • The findings suggest that the social support network for weight loss should be expanded to include pets, alongside family, friends, and coworkers.